Sunday’s 10-kilometer classic in Trondheim marked the tenth and final race of Period 1 of the 2023/2024 World Cup season. The American skiers have since uniformly scattered for somewhere warmer and sunnier to recover before the Tour de Ski (or U.S. Nationals, or whatever comes next for a given athlete).
By any results-based standard, it was a phenomenally successful 3+ weeks for the American team. There were only three races in which an American woman did not stand on the podium (and in two of those races an American woman finished fourth). Jessie Diggins had four podiums. Rosie Brennan had three. The American women had a relay podium. JC Schoonmaker claimed a breakthrough World Cup podium in his 25th career start, the first American men’s podium since Simi Hamilton and, along with Ben Ogden’s fourth, part of the single most successful day for American men’s World Cup skiing in nearly 17 years.
But there are more than just those four athletes skiing on the World Cup for the U.S. this year, and the athletes who finish on the podium would be the first to tell you that they wouldn’t be up there without the rest of the team alongside them (like, literally so on relay day, but conceptually even more so in the sense that they are pushed and motivated by their teammates year-round). So I asked multiple athletes, plus one coach, what they had learned from Period 1 of this season and what’s something that they liked about the start of this year, be it either directly ski-related or something completely off the race course.
Here are their answers, in no particular order. All comments are in writing to Nordic Insights, or transcribed from audio sent to NI.
Zanden McMullen:
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned the past month is that these World Cup races are sooooo tight. In every individual race so far this season 5-10 seconds can get you so many places. When you look at the results sheet it’s a bummer if you’re at the back of that, but also so reassuring to know you’re right in the mix. I’ve had a really consistent Period 1, so I’m very happy but also wanting more. I feel good and I know that it’s not going to take much to be consistently top 20.”
Scott Patterson:
“Period 1 has often been a bit of a struggle for me. I find that I’m not far off in fitness, but just don’t have the race gears fully running at this time of the season. This year I was hoping for more but also recognizing the potential for a slow start as I had a very busy fall with some non-optimal training at times.
“On the flip side, I raced decently in the skate in Ruka so I know I’m not far off. I think a good holiday training will help me hone in some gears. I’m looking forward to the Tour de Ski and some interesting new courses at some of the regular venues.”
Alayna Sonnesyn:
“So far I’ve learned that I’m not quite where I thought or hoped to be this time of year. I had a really great fall of training and was feeling good in November before the season. Getting sick in Ruka may have done some damage but I’m hoping for a solid reset during the holiday break and hope to come back stronger.
“The start of this season has really been a challenge for me mentally and physically. Although that has been really tough, I see it as an opportunity to grow and ready to overcome this challenge.”
Rosie Brennan:
“I’ve learned that I can be good in classic too, which is so nice. I don’t think I’ve felt this good about classic skiing since I was probably like 18 — which, as a junior, I was actually a much better classic skier than skater. So I feel like I’ve maybe come full circle.
“And that’s awesome. It’s really fun to feel like I can be competitive in any event. And that’s where I want to be, and what I like to do. So I’m pretty excited about that.
“Period 1 this year was pretty different. We were in the pretty far north for the whole period, which — I love cold snow. So I think that was good for me, and something that I enjoyed. I will say, I’m excited to get to some longer days here starting [soon], and yeah, a little more sunshine. But it’s been cool to do something different this year. And also to check out the race courses in Trondheim, and get an idea of what that might be like.”
Ben Ogden:
“It’s a good question. I think the best thing that I’ve learned about myself, just like this Period 1 as opposed to other Period 1s, is — I came out a little flat in the distance races, and just wasn’t feeling particularly strong. Which was the same thing that happened last year, but last year ended on a higher note where I was feeling really good in the distance races. So I sort of went into this year expecting the same thing, where, like, I was just going to start on that level.
“So I think it was something to remember that with my training these days, and how I do the fall, I’m gonna come out a little bit flat in Period 1. And if there comes a year where it’s important to come out swinging in Period 1, like Ruka and those early ones, then maybe I’ll change something about the fall. But with sort of doing the same thing I’ve always done, it was nice this year to just be patient, and not be too hard on myself with a few bad races, and just know that it’s gonna come.
“So I’m really proud that this weekend [in Trondheim, where Ogden was 8th in the 10km classic] it felt like it did come, and I’m feeling a bit stronger. But my biggest takeaway from this Period 1 is just to be patient with yourself at the start of the season and just give it time, because, you know, it takes a while to get back on the skis, right. They’re different than rollerskiing. So it takes a second.”
Matt Whitcomb:
“American cross country skiing is on the rise. Our team finished Period 1 as the third-ranked team in the world, behind only Norway and Sweden. How do we climb further? Pick some low-hanging fruit. Most college skiers quit after graduation. Many of these athletes could compete on the World Cup. Many could coach.
“I want to see 10 more men and 10 more women, every year, join one of the professional American teams. Or, become a club coach. Start a new team. These athletes would considerably affect a gap in our 20-somethings ski culture. College coaches can help this by creating a culture of long-term development on their teams. Sometimes, all it takes is planting the seed. Nobody reaches their top speed by age 21.”
— Gavin Kentch
Financial real talk: I worked my butt off for the first year of this website, and took home a net profit of all of $1,500. Inspiring stuff I know. And that was only thanks to the $3,000 that I took in from readers through my GoFundMe. On the one hand, I’m not going very hard on soliciting donations right now, because this is fundraising week for the NNF’s Drive for 25, deservedly so. On the other hand, the money from the GoFundMe is the only reason that I had a profit instead of a loss for the first year of Nordic Insights, and is in turn why there is a second year of Nordic Insights that you are currently reading — I was on board with doing this for very little money out of a love for American nordic skiing, but didn’t want to lose money for the privilege of doing this.
So. If you would like to support the second year of Nordic Insights, last year’s GoFundMe is still up here. I will update this with a new fundraiser soon/once Drive for 25 ends; for the time being, just mentally substitute in “World Cup” for “Houghton” (basically the same venue tbh). All the money still goes to the same place. Thank you for your support, and thank you, as always, for reading.
Comments from Jessie Diggins?!!!!
Sorry? I put this question to multiple athletes; not all of them had time to respond (they were packing up to leave Trondheim and ready to hit the road and start recovery). I can always ask athletes for comment; they don’t always respond (nor do they have to). I’m trying to say this in the nicest possible way, and I would never have written the article to throw Jessie under the bus or to say “I reached out to these (x) athletes, and only (y) responded.” But since you’re specifically asking, I can share that I typically approach Jessie for comment, and in fact did so here. She was busy. It happens. Sorry.